The Dark Caress ©

[Jane]

Rufus Scrimgeour and Albus Dumbledore are both dead. An Imperius cursed Pius Thicknesse is the current Minister For Magic, and the Death Eaters have taken over the Ministry. Any Aurors daring enough to defy them are quickly silenced, and imprisoned in Azkaban.

Fear, terror and despair are rife in the wizarding world, and this terror is spilling over into the Muggles' world. Almost daily, reports flood in about so-called "natural disasters" and Muggles going "catatonic". Dementors are sucking out people's souls, leaving behind shells of their former selves, while over-eager Death Eaters are destroying bridges, buildings and anything else they feel like.

Lord Voldemort rules the Ministry from his puppet Pius Thicknesse, and has named Severus Snape as headmaster of Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry, despite the former Minister For Magic naming him as the murderer of Albus Dumbledore.

Muggle-borns are in danger. Half bloods and pure bloods are the only ones safe from Dolores Umbridge's Magical Inquisition, and even then if they sympathise with the plight of Muggle-borns they can be imprisoned in Azkaban and have their wands taken without warning.

Lord Voldemort has sent emissaries to the werewolves, the mermaids, the giants and the vampires, and he is awaiting a positive response from all except the vampires. Should these beings unite with Lord Voldemort, wizardkind as it is known is doomed.

He has taken a half-vampire into his Death Eaters as a gesture of goodwill to the vampires, and werewolf Fenrir Greyback has also been given the Dark Mark.

Amongst all this, some people keep up hope. Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger are out there somewhere, trying to find Horcruxes and destroy them, and ultimately bring down the Dark Lord. Potter-Watch operates by password on the Wizarding Wireless Network, giving the secret supporters of Potter a little hope every week.

Will the Dark Lord succeed? Or will Harry Potter defeat him?

Times are dark and hopeless indeed, and it is up to you which side you are going to take in this upcoming war.

Are you one of the few brave enough to continue being an Auror? Does your path lie under the shadow of the Dark Lord, with his mark on your arm as one of his Death Eaters? Are you more cunning than courageous, and thus better suited to working in the Ministry? Will you try to change it from within for the greater good, or are you one of those that will continue to corrupt it?
Are you a student at Hogwarts, trying to learn magic while the whole world goes mad around you? Or are you a Muggle-born, on the run from the Snatchers, or are you one of the dreaded Snatchers after Muggle-borns?

Choose wisely.

Your decision could affect the whole wizarding world.

THE DARK CARESS